Goal: The non traumatic shoulder pains are frequent. These diseases include preferentially tendinitis of the rotator cuff and retractile capsulitis described with diabetes. Our study aims to analyze musculoskeletal disorders by comparing the characteristics of these disorders between diabetics and non-diabetics patients.

Material and method: It is a cross-sectional, descriptive,analytical study comparing diabetic (n=34) and non-diabetic patients (n=48) seen from January to December 2013 at the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitationof University Hospital Ibn Rochd, Casablanca, Morocco.

Results: The average age of our patients was 56.4 in diabetic vs. 54.1 years in non-diabetic patients, mostly women, 70.6% vs. 81.3% respectively. Pain was chronic in diabetic and acute in non-diabetic subjects. In both groups, the dominant member was significantly affected. Tendinitis of the rotator cuff was higher (65.2%) in non-diabetic patients while partial ruptures, calcified tendinitis and apsulitis were predominant in the diabetic group. These disorders generated an important functional limitation.

Discussion-conlusion: We conclude that musculoskeletal disorders of the shoulder evolve and spread differently in diabetic patients compared to non-diabetic persons with consequent restriction of capabilities and limitations of participation.